Effects of Anabolic Steroids on Albumin Metabolism

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Abstract
This paper describes the effects of 2 anabolic steroids on albumin turnover and balances of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Given parenterally in dosages sufficient to produce clear-cut increases in the metabolic balances, neither norethandrolone nor nandrolone produced any significant effects on independently measured synthesis or degradation of albumin. The decreased urinary excretion of urea responsible for the more positive nitrogen balances was accompanied by either no change or, more commonly, a fall in blood urea nitrogen, and therefore was not of primary renal origin. If, then, protein catabolism is defined in terms of its complete breakdown to urea, the action of the “anabolic” steroids may best be described as anticatabolic. It appears that, at some intermediate stage of protein breakdown, these steroids act to reduce further catabolism and/or to increase the synthesis of nonalbuminous protein. These findings are compatible with studies indicating that other steroids act at a ribosomal level to increase protein synthesis.